The angular space-stability characteristic of gyroscopes relative to the earth's rotational movement is known. The use of precession of the spin axis of a gyroscope rotor, where the gyroscope housing is fixed relative to a host vehicle and the rotor/gimbal assembly is fixed to motionless angular space in order to generate navigational signals, is also well known.
However, it is not known how, without exerting a great amount of excitation (input) power, to effectively use a gyroscope in order to obtain significantly useful net output power via gyroscopic-rotor-precession-generated reaction torque from the earth's vast storehouse of rotational inertial energy on a continuous basis.
One reason for this is that the gyroscope rotor/gimbal assembly is stable (unmovable and unperturbable) when the rotor spin axis is in alignment with (parallel to) the earth's polar axis--a conceptual "catastrophe" when first encountered during preliminary concept analysis.
At this orientation of the rotor spin axis, the precession resulting from the application of precession torque of the rotor spin axis stops, and no further gyro reaction torque can be produced by the gyro rotor/gimbal assembly to oppose the earth's angular rotational velocity imposed torque as expressed by the gyro performance equation T.sub.p =K.sub.p.OMEGA..sub.p. When the rotor precession rate .OMEGA..sub.p =0, T.sub.p =0.
Thus, there is no further access to the earth's stored rotational energy to generate useful output power--unless corrective measures are applied.
These corrective measures are the primary subject of this application for letters patent.
The conceptual theoretical solution to the "polar axis alignment catastrophe" would be to re-orient the rotor spin vector, somehow, back to the starting orientation of the power output precession "stroke",--hopefully, in a manner requiring a negligible amount of input or excitation energy compared to the energy extracted during the energy/power-output phase.
Some fairly obvious means exist for physically re-orientating the rotor spin vector direction of the gyroscope from the undesired stable polar axis alignment orientation to one wherein the spin vector direction of the rotor is such that it will again traverse a slightly less than 180.degree. precession angular displacement toward the stable polar axis alignment orientation, during which angular excursion power may be extracted from the earth's rotational energy. Such obvious and simple re-orienting means generally require substantial energy expenditure. Thus, they are not practical from a power generation efficiency standpoint.
For example, this can be accomplished by simply reversing the direction of rotor spin. But the energy required to "brute force" reverse the rotor spin direction far exceeds the energy obtained during the intervening power output phase of the operational cycles. Even if the net energy output were positive, the time required for rotor de-re-spin is excessive, making the overall time-averaged power efficiency unattractive.
Re-precession torque applied around the torque power output (polar) axis by torque reversal, while properly re-orienting the rotor spin axis, is counterproductive in that, since the direction of the earth's rotation remains the same and the direction of the torque is reversed, the direction of energy flow is reversed. Thus, this procedure merely results in returning the energy to the earth's rotation that was extracted during the preceding power-output phase--plus a "tax" for the always attendant parasitic inefficiency factors.
So, to tap the physical rotational energy of the earth, a new, effective, and efficient method, apparatus, and mechanization is needed to produce useful power-output from the earth's vast storehouse of inertial rotational energy.
This need can be satisfied by employing the angular spatial stability and torque production characteristics of a precessing gyroscope rotor. By applying the torque production capability of a precessing gyro rotor as a deceleration torque on the earth's angular momentum, the earth's storehouse of rotational inertial energy may be accessed by interposing a power transducer between the motionless (in spatial coordinates) gyro outer-gimbal and the earthly inertial rotation.
To alter the earth's spatial parameters has been believed unattainable ever since Archimedes, 2500 years ago, requested ". . . a pole (lever) long enough and a platform . . . [in order to] move the earth." That platform and lever (torque) are now readily available, and have been, but unrecognized as such, for over a century. It's a gyroscope rotor/gimbal assembly.
The practical extraction of this readily available supply of enormous energy needs to be accomplished in a manner that does not require the expenditure of a large amount of excitation power, or include complex electrical or mechanical operations on the gyroscope and rotor, or that is otherwise impractical.
The basic elements of this invention were disclosed in Disclosure Document No. 220,425, filed Feb. 21, 1989, resulting from the first year of research on the concept.
This application for letters patent is based upon continuing R&D conducted over the ensuing elapsed time to "prove out" this new and different conceptual configuration of a gyroscope designed to extract power and energy from the inertial energy of a rotating planetrary body, such as the earth, consisting of the following events and milestones:
(1) The determination that theoretically there is an enormous quantity of pure unpolluting energy available from the energy contained in the rotational inertia of the earth--enough to supply all the energy and power requirements of the world's civilization, currently being met by oil production, for the next 100,000,000 years with only minimal and readily acceptable reduction in the daily rotation rate of the earth at the end of that period: approximately 30%, a 34 hour day--at the present rate of oil energy consumption.
(2) The determination that this supply of pure physical mechanical energy may theoretically be tapped by interposing the spatial angular stability of a gyro rotor/gimbal assembly, plus a transducer to convert the gyro/earth mechanical energy and power into the desired type for ready utilization, e.g., electrical, hydraulic, or other, between the onrushing inertial rotational energy of the earth and the referenced spatial stability--more accurately, rigidity (as in "brick wall" or Hoover Dam)--of a gyro rotor and gimbal assembly.
(3) Theoretical analysis showing that by applying gyro precession reaction torque induced by the spatially rotating earth to a power transducer, or generator, shaft, the housing or framework of both gyro and generator being anchored to the earth, there is a direct correlation between: (a) the theoretically/mathematically determined reduction in rotational energy of the earth and (b) the amount of theoretically/mathematically determined earth-derived mechanical energy delivered to the input shaft of the power transducer (electrical power generator).
(4) Realization that re-precessional re-orientation performed by applying re-precession torque around the polar axis, while accomplishing the desired re-orientation of the spin vector, would be counterproductive. Since the applied torque would be opposite to that employed during the power output phase and the earth rotation direction remains the same, the direction of energy flow would be reversed. Thus the rotational energy of the earth would be increased at the expense of some other source of energy.
(5) Realization that by definition there is no rotation of the earth around an axis in, or parallel to, the earth's equatorial plane. Therefore, applying re-precession torque around an axis in, or parallel to, the earth's equatorial plane, theoretically would require only infinitessimal energy or power in comparison to that obtainable by means of polar axis precessional torque.
(6) Since there are three orthogonal axes in the gyro/earth coordinate system and torque around one axis creates precession around an axis normal to that axis, for any precession (motion) axis there are two precession torque axes that can cause precession around that same (motion) axis. Since the desired re-precession motion axis is in the equatorial plane, in order to re-precess or re-orient around the same equatorial axis as the power-output/polar-axis torque created precession motion, and the polar axis cannot be used for re-precession, the remaining, or third, axis lies in the equatorial plane normal to the desired re-precession action axis. Re-precession torque around this axis should theoretically require essentially no energy or power from the re-precession torque excitation source.
(7) Mathematical analysis of re-precession torque applied around an equatorial axis confirmed that the energy and power required to re-precess with torque around, or parallel to, an equatorial plane axis was indeed a theoretical, mathematical, and practical infinitesimal, many orders of magnitude below that obtained in the power output phase.
(8) Laboratory experimentation confirmed the validity of the theoretical/mathematical gyro/earth-rotational power output performance equations and that a high degree of correlation could be demonstrated between theory and practice.